Tuesday, December 01, 2009

Ergopower was introduced by Campagnolo in 1992. For the 2 prior years, Campagnolo was without an answer to the rising popularity of Shimano's STI. The benefits of being able to shift without removing your hands from your bars were undeniable.

People always talk about how poorly Campagnolo was executing in the late 80's and early 90's. Ergopower helped bring them in to the modern era, and really helped them get out of the funk they were in.

Below is the Italian version of the 1992 Ergopower catalog. I've added the english catalog's text below each of the pages, so those of us who can't read italian can follow along.

Indexed control levers for front and 8-speed rear derailleur, interfaced with the brake levers.

Maximum safety system for total control of the bike without removing the hands from the handlebar.

Ergonomically designed down to the smallest details, with extremely comfortable lever grip.

Total absence of over shift to obtain fast and precise shifting in every gear position.

Possibility to shift down 8 gears in succession in a single movement or to shift up one or two speeds.

Very reduced weight.

Complete freedom of movement due to the internal passage of cables, considerably enhancing appearance as well.

The front derailleur levers can be shifted one position at a time so as to align the front derailleur cage with the chain.

Maximum protection of internal mechanism so that operation is unaffected by blows or falls.

Absolute reliability due to the use of high-quality materials developed through new technologies for heat and surface treatments

The Ergopower System is set up for the use of triple cranksets.

Maximum ease of installation and adjustment.

ERGOPOWER TSC: Total Shifting Control
These revolutionary integrated controls for the braking and derailleur systems provide the ideal ergonomic and functional solution for meeting every individual requirement in any field, athletic or amateur.

Maximum reliability of the ERGOPOWER TSC system is obtained thanks to the perfect symbiosis of the multi-functional transmission systems which Campagnolo has developed thanks to scrupulous technological research.

Ergopower TSC has been designed to work with all Campagnolo 8-speed rear derailleurs, whether for the road or off-road. THe articulated parallelograms of Campagnolo rear derailleurs both with pulleys using adjustable bearings and pulleys using bushings, permit fast precise shifting in every situation. Along with the traditional front derailleurs in Campagnolo's road range, Ergopower TSC can also be used with triple crankset versions.

All Campagnolo cranksets can be used with Ergopower TSC, including the Compact sports version for off-road.
The maximum precision in machining the chainrings ensures perfect engagement with the chain for fast precise derailleur operation.

The new cassette hub for 8 speed freewheel is ideal for sports uses. The appropriately dimensioned axle moving on 4 bearings ensures superior performance in all circumstances.

The 8 sprockets with triple-profile teeth make shifting easy, even under stress, without any margin of error.

All of this is obtained with unequalled lightness thanks to the new Contax chain, the narrowest available today, and to the high precision of the Ergopower TSC control levers.

3 comments:

I've been enjoying these catalogues you've been posting. I liked the story on sprinterdellacasa about lining up against some big guns in the early days of integrated shifting's appearance in the racing world.

The components arms race in the late 80's and early 90's was awesome. Indexing, dual pivot brakes, STI, Ergo! Cassette hubs! Pretty cool.

I have a giant pile of catalogs and magazines sitting right next to me, waiting to be scanned. I won't ruin the surprise for anyone, but there are plenty of catalog + marketing glossies, magazines and other fun stuff.

There'll also be some tech-ier articles, including a breakdown + comparison of the Shimano cassette mech versus the Mavic/Hugi style face ratchet/pawl, more component pics, etc, etc, etc.

Scattered in there will be a series of related articles that'll hopefully culminate with the completion of a little winter project of mine...assuming I can find what I'm looking for.

About Me

Why yes, I DO buy and sell old bike parts, with an obvious bias towards Mavic. If you have anything you think I might be interested in, particularly things that are new and in the box, don't hesitate to email me.
And if you have any questions or comments in general, also don't hesitate to email me! blogs at tears for gears dot com